Chapter 2: The Yan Family Does Not Keep Idle People
In front of the Meridian Gate.

The atmosphere is solemn. Although there has been no snowfall in Beijing so far, don't forget that it is still winter.

The cold north wind continued to echo under the palace wall in front of the city gate, blowing the armor and robes of the surrounding imperial guards.

After Yan Shaoting and Yan Hu explained some details, they arrived with a team of Jinyiwei. Just then, that idiot Zhou Yunyi from the Imperial Observatory was kneeling in front of the Meridian Gate.

Zhou Yunyi, who was only wearing an official robe, was shivering in the wind and crawling on the ground, looking miserable.

Yan Shaoting had no sympathy for this.

This group of so-called clean officials only know how to talk big. If you ask them how to fill the treasury without raising taxes on the people, they will just keep their mouths shut.

The Ming Dynasty has now reached this situation.

The eunuchs deserve to die, the Yan party deserves to die, and this group of Qingliu deserves to die as well.

After criticizing all parties in his mind, Yan Shaoting glanced behind the five broken gates of the Meridian Gate.

Our dear Lord Daojun of the Ming Dynasty also deserves to die!
No matter how Jiajing governed, it could not change the fact that everything he did from beginning to end was for his own throne.

In Jiajing's heart, there has never been the people of the world, the country and the people.

There was only himself.

Behind the Meridian Gate.

Eunuch Feng Bao had already walked out with a few eunuchs, with unfriendly faces.

Behind Feng Bao, there were other people from the East Factory.

Feng Bao arrived in front of Zhou Yunyi, but saw Yan Shaoting was also there.

There was a hint of surprise on his face, but he smiled and said, "It's Young Master Yan who is here. Are you going to the cabinet to look for Elder Yan and Young Elder Yan?"

Yan Shaoting did not answer, but looked at Zhou Yunyi who was kneeling on the ground: "What happened?"

Feng Bao looked at Zhou Yunyi, his expression also turned cold. "What a shame for an official from the Imperial Observatory to insist that it is because of the excessive spending of the imperial court and rampant corruption in the government that the people are living in poverty and the anger of heaven and people that God has refused to send snow. Isn't this courting death?"

When Zhou Yunyi heard the eunuch's voice, he slowly raised his head, his face full of anger.

"The imperial court has been levying heavy taxes and levying heavy levies. It is only the 39th year of Jiajing, and the court's annual deficit has reached 8,433,000 taels of silver!

Compared with last year's fiscal budget, the overspending was as high as more than 14 million taels!
Even so, some local governments have already increased taxes until the 45th year of Jiajing!"

The shocking numbers that came out of Zhou Yunyi's mouth made Feng Bao's face even more gloomy and fierce.

Zhou Yunyi shouted without any sense of crisis: "If it weren't for the poor governance, why would there be the wrath of heaven and the resentment of the people? There hasn't been a single snowfall this winter!"

Feng Bao snorted coldly and raised his hand: "I won't talk to you like this. I just want to ask you one last question. Why didn't it snow today? And who taught you to report this to His Majesty?"

Zhou Yunyi, who had been pinned to the ground by two men from the Eastern Depot holding sticks, raised his head with difficulty and looked at Feng Bao calmly.

"I am an official of the Ming Dynasty, an official of His Majesty. I must fulfill my duties and do not need anyone to teach me."

Feng Bao's eyes turned cold, he put his hands into his sleeves, and glanced sideways at the Dongchang guard who was holding a wooden stick.

"Staff..."

Before the word "beaten to death" was finished, Feng Bao heard laughter coming from behind.

Yan Shaoting and the Jinyiwei came up to Feng Bao.

Feng Bao looked puzzled: "Master Yan wants it?"

Yan Shaoting glanced coldly at Zhou Yunyi who was stuck on the ground, and then asked in a low voice: "Is this what your majesty meant?"

Feng Bao frowned and his expression changed slightly.

Yan Shaoting smiled and whispered, "It is already the 29th day of the twelfth lunar month. Eunuch Feng is going to cause a death at this critical moment and cause trouble for His Majesty?"

Feng Bao's face changed again.

He had originally wanted to have Zhou Yunyi, who had made such outrageous remarks, beaten to death to avenge His Majesty.

But when he heard what Yan Shaoting said, he was shocked.

Yan Shaoting had already turned around and looked at Zhou Yunyi coldly. He was the eldest son of the Yan family, and everyone in the court knew him.

Zhou Yunyi saw Yan Shaoting in person, and a look of sarcasm appeared on his face: "It is you Yan Party! You have brought chaos to the government, causing the people of the world to live in misery, and the gods are angry and the people are resentful! It has not snowed for months!"

Yan Shaoting's face was calm.

This is a typical Qingliu troll in the Ming Dynasty.

Yan Shaoting stared at Zhou Yunyi and asked, "Do you think the reason why God didn't send snow is because my Yan family is causing chaos in the government?"

Zhou Yunyi's face was full of resentment and he spat heavily.

Yan Shaoting smiled faintly: "You, Zhou Yunyi, as the director of the Imperial Observatory, don't think about why there is no snow, but only know to take the opportunity to criticize the court. Do you think that our Majesty the Holy Emperor of the Ming Dynasty is blind and can condone the chaos in the court?"

Zhou Yunyi's face changed: "I didn't!"

"You have!"

Yan Shaoting squatted down and looked at Zhou Yunyi with anger on his face quietly: "You just want to say that your majesty is incompetent, so that you can use this to fulfill your reputation as a clean official even if the world is in chaos and the people are suffering.

If you were beaten to death here today by Eunuch Feng, I'm afraid your colleagues would immediately take out the eulogies they have already written to commemorate your achievements.

Do you still want to use your death to force His Majesty to issue an edict of repentance?"

Zhou Yunyi was extremely angry at this point, with a flame of rage burning in his heart.

It was originally thought that there were already Yan Song and Yan Shifan, the father and son of the Yan family, in the court, who formed a clique for personal gain, disrupted the government, and made life miserable for the people of the world.

Now it seems that the eldest son of the Yan family is as treacherous as his grandfather and father!

"At such a young age, you have already shown the signs of being a treacherous villain! You are no different from your fathers and grandfathers, you are birds of the same feather!"

Zhou Yunyi clenched his fists, feeling in his heart that as long as the Yan family was not eliminated, the Ming Dynasty would never have peace.

Feng Bao shouted coldly, and then looked at Yan Shaoting: "Master Yan, this man is extremely arrogant, let me take care of him."

Yan Shaoting stood up, glanced at Feng Bao, then signaled with his eyes to the Jinyiwei he brought with him to take the wooden stick from the Dongchang guard present.

"It has not snowed this winter because of the season. It has nothing to do with the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty, the Ming Dynasty, or the people of the world!"

Yan Shaoting's eyes were deep and his words were powerful.

"Your Majesty has compassion for the people and has been fasting and praying in the palace for several days. The cabinet and the court are even more worried about the situation. You are the director of the Imperial Observatory. You should explore the celestial phenomena and assist the country and educate the people. But you are barking here. You deserve to be beaten!"

After one word.

Yan Shaoting looked at the Jinyiwei he brought with him and said, "Beat him! Beat him hard! Break his legs! Throw him out of the palace, so that His Majesty won't see him and he won't be an eyesore!"

Following Yan Shaoting's order, the Jinyiwei raised the wooden sticks in their hands and brought them down heavily.

Feng Bao, who was standing by, saw Yan Shaoting snatching his job. Although he felt somewhat dissatisfied, he knew that the other party was the eldest grandson of Lord Yan, and he had reminded himself of this before, so he just watched coldly.

As the Jinyiwei hit him with a few sticks, Zhou Yunyi screamed a few times and then became silent.

The Jinyiwei also listened to Yan Shaoting's words and knew that the young master of Lord Yan's family, their immediate superior, was not going to take Zhou Yunyi's life, but only break one of his legs.

Feng Bao looked at Zhou Yunyi, who had his leg broken and was being dragged out of the imperial city by the Embroidered Uniform Guards, and walked to Yan Shaoting.

"Master Yan, Zhou Yunyi is still alive, but God still doesn't send snow. I'm afraid he will continue to chatter and disturb the court."

Yan Shaoting looked back at Feng Bao and said firmly, "Don't worry, Eunuch Feng. As long as the New Year is over, it will snow soon!"

Feng Bao looked at Yan Shaoting's confident expression, and he didn't know where the Yan family's eldest young master got his confidence from, so he had to change the subject and ask, "Young Master Yan, do you still want to enter the palace?"

Feng Bao thought that his job had been snatched away today. Although he could not discuss this matter with Yan Shaoting, he still had to go back to the palace to explain the matter to his godfather.

Yan Shaoting turned his eyes away and said, "Ah, I won't enter the palace. I remember that I have some things to do at home."

Feng Bao stood in front of the Meridian Gate, looking at Yan Shaoting's departing back, his eyes gradually becoming profound.

"There really isn't a single idle person in the Yan family."

(End of this chapter)